Weekend Read: Liberals and Conservatives Both Love and Loathe the Sharing Economy

Feb 20, 2015 5:58 pm ET

Jeremiah Owyang, founder of Crowd Companies: When it comes to the emerging sharing economy, the only thing that is clear is that there is no definitive ideological line. Both liberals and conservatives see aspects of emerging companies and business models that they like and dislike. After all, in our view, liberals love job opportunities for the unemployed and disadvantaged, like online freelancer roles that enable many to work anywhere, anytime. However, they loathe how these workers must provide their own tools, health coverage, insurance and retirement benefits. Conservatives, meanwhile, love the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation surrounding the sharing economy, but loathe how startups are replacing traditional small businesses. …